MAGAZINE: TOWIE’s Billie Faiers joins the Good Life

It’s 40 years since The Good Life first aired on our TV screens but it appears the show’s appeal is stronger now than it ever was.

According to new research released today by Kellogg’s, almost three quarters (73%) of us want to abandon modern comforts and live more simply, like the characters in the classic television show.

And the premise – that of a London designer giving up his busy job and all modern conveniences to live self-sufficiently – is apparently just as relevant today. The reasons for wanting to go back to the Good Life are many: when asked to name the things about modern life that they found the most irritating, 64% cited seeing people glued to their mobile phones; 61% said bad manners get their goat; while 42% said it’s the materialism of society.

When it came to living ‘The Good Life’, respondents were most enthused about growing their own fruit and vegetables (67% said they’d be very enthusiastic about giving it a go), reading more books (54%) and doing more gardening (44%). More than a third said they’d love to generate their own electricity – perhaps not surprising given today’s energy prices – but 41% admitted they’d have no idea how to go about it.

Food is also a consideration for those looking to simplify their lives. For the average person, any more than nine ingredients made them feel suspicious about how natural a product is. The average Briton also claimed 277 ‘food miles’ – the journey from the food’s source to your plate – is too many. That’s the same distance as the walk from London Charing Cross to Newcastle.

When asked to name things that made them feel good about buying a food product, 46% of respondents said they liked foods that weren’t too processed, 45% prioritised taste, 43% said they liked local UK produce, 34% loved recognisable ingredients and 33% mentioned natural wholegrains.

Commenting from her time on the farm, TV star, Billie Faiers, who is fronting the Kellogg’s Origins Campaign to encourage people to learn about where their food comes from: “I had a great day at the farm away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. My tips for living a simpler life would be going for a day without your mobile phone, learning how to grow your own food, and relaxing with a good magazine.”